Management of medical waste in hospitals of Ribeirão Preto (SP), Brazil

ABSTRACT This research aimed to evaluate the management of medical waste in hospitals in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo. This study is characterized as descriptive and exploratory, developed in 11 hospitals in the city. Data collection was carried out through interviews with the medical waste managers, analysis of their management plan and systematized observation. Data collection was initiated after hospital authorization, approval by the CEP of the Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo. The results revealed that the steps in handling medical waste such as identification, internal transportation, temporary storage, external collection and transport were classified as unsatisfactory, and only segregation was classified as satisfactory. Regarding the type of the treatment offered to medical waste, 7 (63.6%) managers reported that the residues of groups A and E were submitted to microwave treatment; and 5 (45.5%) showed that they did not know about the type of treatment given to group B waste. It is concluded that, despite the existence of a technical-legal framework regulating the guidelines for the managing medical waste, there were inadequacies related to its management.